Newsletter November 26-30

Welcome back from a glorious Thanksgiving break.  I missed my cute first graders!

We are getting right back to work.  I sent home spelling words today and will now include two dictation sentences for our test on Friday.  We will have math homework everyday this week, as I want to finish up Topic 4 this week, then review next Monday, and test next Tuesday. If you ever have questions about the math homework, please don't hesitate to e-mail me.  I know some of it is not self-explanatory.  I check my e-mail frequently and will usually get right back to you.  I will test all students that have not passed off Sight Word List #4 this Friday, November 30.  If you need another List #4 let me know and I will send one home with your child.  This is the last week for November home reading. The November Home Reading Record will be due Monday, December 3.

Please send your child everyday with their homework folder.  That way I know their homework or notes are being placed in a "safe" place.  I know some of them are totally falling apart.  I will get some new ones for those folders that are completely torn.  We are still waiting for the sturdy East Elementary folders.  Hopefully they will arrive soon!

This week we will finish our Pilgrim writing that we didn't get to last week.  We will write about what Pilgrims are, what Pilgrims have, and what Pilgrims can do.  We will also learn about the elements of a friendly letter so that we can start our letters to Santa.  I have to deliver our Santa letters to my secret elves at Cedar High School by December 4 :)

In science we are still continuing our moon phase unit until all of my students take the moon bag home.  Thanks to those that have completed that assignment and returned the moon bag the very next day.  After all of my students have had an opportunity to take the moon bag home, we will create the moon phases using Oreo cookies.

I am including some photos from our Thanksgiving Turkey Cookie party.  Thanks to Mrs. Terry, Mrs. Akans and Mrs. Adams for helping out!  Enjoy the chocolate smiles and Happy Reading!

Cayla has tasty fingers!

Alvin's finished product!

November 19 -20

Happy Thanksgiving week!  I can't believe that it is nearly Thanksgiving already!  I want you all to know how much I love your children and how thankful I am to be their teacher!

Since we have a short week, we will not have spelling words this week.  Please continue to practice the sight words with your child.  Your child should have passed off lists 1-3.  On November 30th, I will test all students on List #4 if they haven't passed it off yet.  Some students need extra practice with the sight words.  Include sight word practice in your nightly reading, especially if your child is still trying to sound out sight words such as "you", or "said" for example. I will not send home math homework tomorrow, but if you can read with your child over the break that would be great!

Tomorrow is our little Thanksgiving party.  Thanks to those that have sent items in to help with our "turkey cookies".  We will have the party after lunch.  We will also hopefully complete our Pilgrim art and writing activity.  We will write about what Pilgrims are, what Pilgrims can do, and what Pilgrims have.

Have a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving! 

Happy Reading!

Newsletter November 12 - 16

Welcome to winter!  Thanks for sending your child to school with coats, gloves, scarves, etc.  It is cold outside, and remember the students go outside unless rain or snow if falling from the sky.

New spelling words are in your child's homework folder.  I am thrilled with the spelling test scores.  Remember we will have spelling words this week, but will not have spelling words next week due to the Thanksgiving Holiday.  I will also start adding a second dictation sentence to our list when we get back from the break.

I gave the Math Topic #3 test on Friday.  We did much better as a class.  The "Quick checks" and homework practice I think is helping.  I have some smart mathematicians in my class!

For our Thanksgiving party, we will be making "turkey cookies".  I will send a note home with your child if you signed up to help.  It will ask you to bring something to help with the cookies.  Watch for that either through e-mail or note in your child''s backpack.

Last week we wrote, "If I could go to the moon..." narratives.  Wow! I have creative writers in this class, as well as smart mathematicians.  They learned to use transition words such as first, next and last with these narratives.  Some of the responses were:  "First, I would have a picnic," or next, "I would battle space aliens", or last, "I would find the flag that is stuck in the moon."  We didn't get to our Thankful lists last week, so tomorrow we will compose those, and on Wednesday we will write about "How to Catch a Turkey". 

I am definitely thankful for your sweet children.  Please continue to read with your child every night and practice the sight words! 

Happy Reading!

Newsletter November 5 - 9

The October reading record was due November 1.  Please have your child turn that in now!  I sent home November reading records last Thursday.  November's reading record will be due Dec. 3rd.

Your child should have passed off Sight Word List #3 by now.  I will test all of the students that haven't passed of list #3 this Wednesday, November 7th.  I will enter scores in then.  If your child is behind please practice the sight words an extra amount each night.  If your child is caught up, that is they have passed off through at least List #3, please continue to practice these words nightly.  It helps their reading fluency tremendously if the sight words come automatically as they read.  Remember most sight words cannot be sounded out, so your child needs to be exposed to them numerous times.

I am pleased at the progress on your spelling tests, especially the sentence portion.  After the Thanksgiving break, I will start including a second dictation sentence.  We will have spelling words this week and next week, but will not have spelling words during the two days prior to our Thanksgiving break.

I gave the Math Topic #2 test last week.  As a first grade team, we have been asked to document our math test scores to show a comparison between our classrooms and the dual-immersion classrooms.  To make the test fair and valid, we decided to just read the questions so the students.  This was a tough test, and many of my students struggled.  The hard part for me was not to "feed them" the answers, because I know that most of them knew the answer, but the wording was tricking them.  I am having my SUU practicum students help them realize why they missed the problems that they did and give them immediate feedback.  I think most will say, "oh, I know how to do that."  I will send those tests home after the corrections have been made.  I really want my students to be successful on these tests, so I am adding a "quick check" after each math lesson.  I call it a "mini-test".  These "Quick checks" will be worth 5 points and will now be added to their math grade. If they are absent the day of the math lesson, I will send that home as added homework.  Thanks for helping your child with their homework at home, I hope that both of these things will help when it comes to test time.  I will test on topic #3 this Friday.

I sent home November Scholastic book orders today.  The book orders will be due this Friday, November 9th.  If any of you would like me to hold any books for Christmas gifts let me know.  I noticed a pretty neat Lego book from the Holiday Book form that my Lego loving boys might like.  Remember also that every time you order online you will receive a $5.00 coupon for a future order.  I will send home the December book orders early in the month too, so that you can get orders in time for Christmas.  Watch for those the first week of December.

This week we are going to be doing a "If I could go to the moon" narrative writing.  We will also compose "Thankful lists" and start and complete a handprint/footprint turkey art project. Tomorrow we will have a mock presidential election in our classroom, and discuss why we vote and who can vote.  We will also continue to focus on the common core standard of identifying main idea and sequence in a variety of texts.

Happy Reading!!